1. Field of the Invention
The disclosure relates generally to data communications, and in particular, to validating IP addresses assigned to subscribers on large scalable networks.
2. The Prior Art
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, abbreviated DHCP, is a protocol that is used to allocate IP addresses and other configuration information automatically for networked systems. DHCP is an update of the Bootstrap Protocol, abbreviated BOOTP, which is an Internet protocol that provides network configuration information to a diskless workstation.
As is appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, when a client first boots, it sends out a BOOTP message on the network. This message is received by the server, which obtains the appropriate configuration information and returns that information to the client. This information includes the client's IP address, the IP address of the server, the host name of the server, and the IP address of a default router or relay server.
However, as networks have grown, more and more clients may try to request IP addresses simultaneously, potentially causing an overload and leading to disruptions in service. Thus, it is desired to develop a testing methodology for testing a large scalable DHCP network, simulating a large number of clients requesting IP addresses. In particular, such a test methodology may examine how a Unit Under Test (UUT) processes these requests and functions as a relay agent between the clients and relay server.